Picking out our “space” ship

Things don’t always fall into place sequentially in life or when planning to live life differently as full-timers in an RV.  We sometimes find the loads (stress) of life push us beyond our limits, and we break.  This is one of the reasons we are planning this adventure – to reduce loads of life in order to focus on what’s important.  This analogy works to pick the right tow vehicle for our future 5th Wheel RV. 

“We sometimes find the loads of life push us beyond our limits, and we break. “

As the “captain” of our rig and the protector of my family, I need to have a truck that can safely handle the load (weight) towed down the highways of America.  The captain’s duties mean I get to pick the right tow vehicle for our RV.

As part of my retirement package from Ford Motor Company, we are blessed to receive a new Ford every model year through a management lease program.  We typically order some type of SUV to accommodate Brighton, Daisy, and our stuff as we move about our day-to-day life or make trips to visit family in Indiana and New Mexico.  Now that we will be towing a 5^th Wheel RV, starting in the spring of 2020, a large truck to handle the job is mandatory.  Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly which 5^th Wheel RV we will be purchasing, so determining the right truck is somewhat complicated.

Big, Bigger or Biggest?

A Ford Super Duty versus a half-ton like the F-150 is needed because most of the RV’s are contemplating have a Grose Vehicle Weight Rating (GVRW) of over 15,000 lbs. – which includes the weight of the RV fully-loaded with cargo.   The 2020 Super Duty 5^th Wheel towing capability ranges from 12,800 lbs. (F-250) all the way to 37,000 lbs. (F-450 Diesel).  Somewhere in this spectrum is the truck for us! 

We took the F-250 out of consideration for towing capacity issues due to the fact I’ve always considered it an odd duck – too big for the everyday consumer and not big enough for most commercial applications.  In addition, we’ll need a Crew Cab with four full doors to accommodate the twins and our dog, Presley.  So, how do we choose from an F-350 Crew Cab or an F-450 Crew Cab? Do we need an SRW (single rear wheel) or DRW (dual rear wheel / dually)?  Which Rear Axle Ratio?

Note: 2020 Ford Super Duty specs are not available online yet. We received an advanced copy of the 2020 order guide to help us pre-order our vehicle.

First and foremost, we decided the 6.7L Power Stroke Turbo Diesel V8, with the most torque, was the powertrain for us.  It has the most towing capacity, fuel efficiency and gets my “man card” punched.  Ford does have a new 7.3L Gas V8 for 2020, but I’ll wait at least a year to review consumer feedback – I like being a fast follower!

The F-350 Diesel offers a standard Single Rear Wheel (SRW) configuration, but after many late-night web searches it was determined a Dual Rear Wheel (DRW) or “Dually” was considered safer and provided the driver (me) with more peace of mind – six wheels on the ground is better than four when towing large loads!  The F-450 was tempting mostly because I prefer the larger wheels – 19.5 inches vs. 17 inches on the F-350.  But many experienced RV towers reported a rougher ride (stiffer commercial tires) and lower fuel economy (due to a mandatory 4.3 Axle Ratio) led us to choose the F-350 vs. the F-450. 

Take the guesswork out of backing up

Importantly (because I’m a rookie), the 2020 F-350 comes with the Pro Trailer Backup Assist making negotiating even the largest trailers into the tightest of spaces as easy as turning a dial. According to Ford, following setup, drivers use a knob instead of the steering wheel to easily maneuver the trailer via the reverse camera. Trailer Reverse Guidance shows trailer angle and direction and provides steering suggestions to most efficiently direct a trailer backward.

To complete the “tow mastery package”, Ford adds 360-degree cameras with an option to put a backup camera on the trailer. After watching the videos, I think these features could definitely be a real marriage saver too, so my navigator and I don’t argue which way to turn the wheels!

Ultimately, we chose an F-350 Crew Cab DRW 4×4 powered by a 6.7L Power Stroke Diesel with a 3.55 Axle Ratio.  This will provide us with a towing capacity of 31,300 lbs., traction when we need it and decent fuel economy when we’re not towing.   

How to pick the right tow vehicle?

1. KNOW THE WEIGHT – Even though we were sold on Ford, never would consider another truck brand, there is still a lot to learn and choose from. To help pick your truck, we recommend you have a trailer in mind, (we didn’t heed our own advice!), so you know the trailer weight. Knowing the tow capacity and GVRW will help you narrow down your search – this will guide you to which truck size you need.
2. PICK THE ENGINE – you will need to pick the engine. Diesel engines typically can tow with the most torque but come with a premium price tag. The new 2020 Ford Super Duty was a new new 7.3L Gas V8 engine for MPG.
3. PICK THE BED – If you know which hitch you will use – bed installed hitch such as a goose-neck or fifth wheel, or bumper tow hitch – will help you pick your bed length due to turning radius. They do make slider hitches for shorter beds, but I wanted to hedge my bets on a longer bed and not end up with a crushed cab with a 90-degree turn.
4. SAFETY FEATURES – Working within your budget, next pick safety features over gadgets. (We picked a truck loaded with many driver-assist options as I didn’t want to compromise on safety, and my wife is convinced we need all the assistance we can get when it comes to driving!) The driver-assist options are plentiful with blind-spot mirrors and cross-traffic alert, or collision assistance with emergency braking.
5. GADGETS – Any budget left, should go to gadgets that provide comfort and function. It’s hard to live without heated seats on cold mornings and telescoping mirrors become a necessity in hard to squeeze areas.

Few resources on choosing the best truck to tow

• Fifth Wheel Magazine – How to choose a truck for fifth wheel
• etrailer Guide – Guide to Choosing the Best Truck Towing
• RV Guide – How to Pick the Right Tow Vehicle
• RVezy – Best Truck for towing a trailer (updated 2019)

Have fun with the truck-buying experience as you picking the right tow vehicle for your RV. There is much to look and see (even if you do cross over to the dark side!) Make a date out of it! What woman wouldn’t want to be driven around the block in a new truck?

My bet is we will meet one day on the road in your new Ford Super Duty too!

Just remember to you know your personal life load so you don’t push beyond your limits, and then you too will have BRIGHT DAIS AHEAD!

We want to hear from you! What vehicle are you looking at to tow your RV? What features are you interested in learning more about?

Learn more about our decision to go on the road.